Today, SELA's Permanent Secretary, Carlos Moneta,
presented the document "Trends and Options of Latin
America and the Caribbean Integration", which
will be discussed by 27 countries in the XXIII Latin American
Council, to be held in Trinidad & Tobago, from 6 to 9 October.
CARACAS, October 2, 1997. SELA's Permanent Secretary,
Carlos Moneta pointed out today that political, economic and international
conditions of the 90s have favoured the regional integration processes
in Latin America and the Caribbean, as evidenced by the growth
in intra-regional trade at an average annual rate that exceeds
20% and a broad network of agreements that could lead to a regional
free trade zone between the years 2005 and 2010.
During a press conference at SELA's Caracas headquarters,
Ambassador Moneta announced the positive facts and figures of
regional integration as stated in the Document "Trends
and Options of Integration in Latin America and the Caribbean",
one of the documents SELA will present to the XXIII Regular Meeting
of the Latin American Council, to be held in Port-of-Spain from
6 to 9 October.
Intra-regional exports jumped from US$ 9.062 billion
in 1985 (9.5% of the total exports) to US$ 37.554 billion in 1995
(17.3%). In 1996, these exports accounted for 18% of all Latin
American and Caribbean sales, which Moneta viewed as "a
favourable trend that continues to consolidate", Moneta
said.
Other aspects singled out by the Permanent Secretary
were internal growth within each integration scheme, which in
cases as MERCOSUR and the Central American Common Market went
beyond 20%, and the significant weight of manufactured goods over
commodities in the structure of trade.
Nevertheless, there are some "worrisome elements"
as "the trade links between one group and another which
are still weak", besides, there is a need of "greater
coordination of macroeconomic policies" and of going
forward in "convergence and articulation" in
the many bilateral, subregional and regional agreements.
The Latin American Council is SELA's main decision-making
body. It meets annually to establish its institutional policies.
This year will mark the first time a Council Meeting is held in
an English-speaking Caribbean country. Deputy Permanent Secretary,
Dr. Luis Alberto Rodriguez (who is a Trinidadian citizen), stressed
that this event would contribute largely to furthering SELA's
policy for strengthening regional relations among Member States.
Rodriguez explained that the Trinidad & Tobago
meeting will be divided into two stages: October 6 and 7, the
Preparatory (technical), where the Permanent Secretary will present
his report to SELA's 27 Member States, represented by Ministers
of Foreign Affairs and Heads of Delegations. Among the issues
to be treated are: globalization, extra-regional relations, trade
and integration, financing of development and foreign investments
policy, social policy and technical cooperation, as well as a
report on the Helms-Burton Act (required by the Member States)
and the 1998 Work Programme.
It will also include discussions about upcoming negotiations
with non-member countries such as St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Vincent,
St. Kitts and Nevis and The Bahamas.
The second stage, the Ministerial (8-9 October),
is considered "very important this year, at which time
the Secretariat will present the study on Growth and Employment."
Furthermore, Rodriguez indicated that the Prime Minister of Trinidad
& Tobago, Basdeo Panday, will be opening the event.
International experts who will be present at this
event include the Minister of Labour and Social Promotion
of Peru, Jorge Domingo González Izquierdo; the Vice Chancellor
of The West Indies University, Alister Mc Intyre; the former Chilean
Minister of Planning and incumbent Ambassador of Chile to Mexico,
Luis Maira; and the Director of the Special Unit for TCDC (United
Nations), Denis Benn.
